Marketing: Do Your Job and Let Manufacturers Do Theirs

Marketing: Do Your Job and Let Manufacturers Do Theirs

May 10, 2018 No Comments

We’re almost to the halfway point of 2018. How are you feeling about the marketing plan you have in place for this year? (This assumes you do have one in place.) If you ask 10 automotive marketing professionals, you’ll get 10 different answers on what they think you should be

Returning to a World Without Endlessly Rising Vehicle Sales

Returning to a World Without Endlessly Rising Vehicle Sales

April 12, 2018 No Comments

Hopefully, everyone who attended this year’s NADA convention traveled home with new ideas for selling more vehicles in 2018. According to The Wall Street Journal’s report on March 1, vehicle sales in general are down, with the biggest hits coming to large cars. The good news has been for crossovers

How Advertising That Sticks Out Draws Consumer Attention

How Advertising That Sticks Out Draws Consumer Attention

March 7, 2018 No Comments

As an auto dealer, you notice dealer advertising more than the average consumer. When you see an ad in the newspaper, online, on television, or hear one on the radio, you probably listen carefully because it is your business. Keep in mind that consumers probably don’t pay as much attention.

Have You Made Your Reservations for NADA Show 2018?

Have You Made Your Reservations for NADA Show 2018?

February 2, 2018 No Comments

If you haven’t arranged your trip to NADA Show 2018 this year—March 22–25 at the Las Vegas Convention Center—now is the time. This will be a very important year for dealers to take a look at how to run a modern dealership. As you are aware, our industry has been

Don’t Get Sued—Stop Sexual Harassment in Your Dealership Now

Don’t Get Sued—Stop Sexual Harassment in Your Dealership Now

December 7, 2017 No Comments

As more and more sexual harassment complaints surface across the country, it may be time to check the policy in your dealership’s employee manual. For a long period of time, the car business was a bit of an “all-man’s-land,” with only a few women employed at dealerships. Things are changing

Things Need to Change for Women in the Automotive Industry

Things Need to Change for Women in the Automotive Industry

November 3, 2017 2 Comments

OK, full transparency from me: I have a 27-year-old daughter who sells new cars at a dealership. I can’t say that she has complained of any unfair situations at the dealership she works for. However, since I have been working with car dealers for about 40 years, I have seen

In the Future, Will You Be Selling the Vehicles Buyers Want?

In the Future, Will You Be Selling the Vehicles Buyers Want?

July 7, 2017 No Comments

I am not an economist, but tell me if you think this is a problem. Right now, we have an overabundance of vehicle inventory in the U.S. Car sales are slated to decrease after years of constantly increasing sales numbers. At the same time, due to the high prices on

Traditional Advertising Still Brings in the Buyers

Traditional Advertising Still Brings in the Buyers

June 2, 2017 No Comments

Photo: Celebrity spokesperson/Seattle Seahawk Michael Bennett for Larson Automotive in Tacoma, Washington In our increasingly digital world, it’s easy to overlook some of the most effective advertising vehicles for selling cars. Despite the increasing use of pay-per-click, banner advertising, social media, and video ads on the internet, plain old television

Don’t Hide Your Giant Inventory: Show It With a Drone

Don’t Hide Your Giant Inventory: Show It With a Drone

May 18, 2017 No Comments

I remember hearing a story about a car dealer who hired an ad agency to help him make the public aware of his very large selection of vehicles. Although the dealer had his dealership on a high-traffic road and had a huge selection of vehicles, no one knew because he